Four decades ago, on Jan. 22, our Supreme Court voted to legalize abortion. There was an outcry from Americans who realized the sacredness of life in the womb. The outcry was ignored and finally it subsided. A battle had been fought and a victory secured for those who believed babies could be “eliminated” just because they were unwanted.

At least 55 million babies have been aborted since January 1973. As the anniversary of the high court’s ruling arrived, some Americans celebrate. But many of us, and I would hope that most of us, chose to mourn. We should have flown our flags at half-mast.

More than 1.3 million Americans have died in our nation’s wars from our war for independence to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Forty times that number have been killed by abortion.

We hold Hitler and his Nazi Germany responsible for the murder of 6 million Jewish people during World War II. Now America has her own holocaust to account for. Forty years of innocent blood. Nine times the number of Hitler’s innocent victims! Whom will God hold responsible? There will be a day of reckoning.

Could we think today of the children who might have been? Some would have been doctors and nurses. Some would have been scientists. One of them might have found a cure of cancer. Some of them would have sung like larks and some would have painted majestic portraits. But they didn’t have a chance to be born. The womb became their tomb.

Fifty-five million! Some would have been caring teachers. Some would have been valiant soldiers. Some would have been faithful pastors. Only the dear Lord knows what they all could have been.

Thankfully, their souls are now with him.

A professor in a college ethics class presented his students with a problem. He said, “A man has syphilis and his wife has tuberculosis. They have had four children: one has died, and the other three have what is considered to be a terminal illness. The mother is pregnant. What do you recommend?”

After a spirited discussion, the majority of the class voted that she should abort the child. “Fine,” said the professor. “You just killed Beethoven.”